Container handling device in the capping device

Abstract

A processing device (1) for processing containers (2) in a capping and / or inspection station of a capping device, the device (1) comprising a centering member (10) having a side opening (11) arranged to receive a neck region (2a) of the container (2) and a clamp holding assembly (20) for holding the container (2) during the capping operation, the clamp holding assembly being mounted to slide vertically between a first position and a second position, wherein, in the first position, the clamp holding assembly is disengaged from the container (2) and can remove the capped container (2) and receive the container (2) to be capped; and, during the capping and / or inspection process, the clamp holding assembly occupies the second position and, in the second position, the clamp holding assembly engages with the container (2), the clamp holding assembly being associated with a device for controlling its vertical sliding, the device comprising a first elastic device (58a, 58b) configured to hold the clamp holding assembly (20) in the second position and to apply an axial load to the container (2) in this position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a capping device, and more particularly to a handling device for holding and centering a container under a capping head in such a device. The present invention also relates to a capping method using such a device.

[0002] Preferably, the invention is applied to a closure device in which a screw cap is applied to a container having a neck provided with a rigid collar and is clamped and centred by acting on the neck area just below the collar, and the following description will be particularly directed to this preferred application.

[0003] In a preferred application, the container is a bottle, and for the sake of clarity and simplicity, the term "bottle" is used throughout the following description.

[0004] In addition, considering that in some capping devices, the capping head also has the function of measuring and / or inspecting, for example, measuring the tightening / unscrewing torque of the cap or measuring the gas pressure between the liquid in the container and the cap, inspecting the physical or visual properties of the container, etc., in the following description and claims, the capping head is generally referred to as a "working head". Background Art

[0005] In order to correctly carry out the capping, measuring and / or inspection operations in the capping station of the capping device, the bottle must be placed in a completely vertical position and aligned with the axis of the head and cap, and must remain in this position during the intended operations of the aforementioned station. To this end, the capping station is equipped with devices for clamping and centering the bottle. These devices must guarantee the correct positioning of the bottle relative to the working head and prevent the bottle from rotating due to the rotary movement of the working head during the capping process. In addition, during the capping process, vertical forces (compensating loads or top loads) increase the friction in the neck area, preventing the bottle from rotating itself or moving from its preset position in any case. In this case, the clamping and centering devices must also prevent misalignment between the axes of the bottle, cap and working head (and, in the case of plastic bottles, deformation), which would hinder the normal functioning of the working head.

[0006] For bottles with a rigid neck, known clamping and centering devices include a support element having a side opening, the neck of the bottle being received in the side opening, and a clamping member for holding the bottle in a recess, on which the rigid neck rests. Examples of such devices are disclosed in DE 1607970 A1, EP 1712496 A1, EP 2383221 A1, and US Pat. No. 6302172 B1. However, these known devices do not address the problems caused by top loading.

[0007] EP2439168A1 and US2011 / 089003A1 also disclose similar devices, in which the clamping member also performs a supporting function and is vertically slidable between two different working positions against the action of an elastic element. In EP2439168A1, the sliding movement causes the clamp to contact the fixed plate. During cap application, the axial force applied by the capping head is released onto the fixed plate without stressing the hinge pin of the clamping jaws. In US2011 / 089003A1, the sliding movement controls the opening and closing of the clamp. These devices also fail to address the problems caused by top loads.

[0008] Furthermore, the known solutions are not suitable for multi-format installation, as the gripping and centering devices must be at least partially replaced whenever the format of the bottles to be treated changes.

[0009] WO2018 / 203242A1 discloses a clamping and centering device having a centering ring and a plurality of clamping jaws, wherein the centering ring rests on a shoulder located between the neck and the body of the container, and the clamping jaws are distributed along the circumference of the centering ring and are brought into a working state in which the clamping jaws engage with the bottle neck by radial movement.

[0010] US2987313A describes a capping unit equipped with handling means for handling containers and comprising a clamp gripping assembly and means for applying an axial load to the container to prevent said container from rotating or moving during the capping step. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method for handling, in particular holding and centering, bottles below a working head in a capping device, which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0012] According to the present invention, a processing device is provided, comprising: a centering member having a side recess arranged to receive the neck region of a container; and a clamp holding assembly for holding the container during operations performed in a capping station. The clamp holding assembly is mounted so as to be vertically slidable between a first position, in which the clamp holding assembly is disengaged from the container and is capable of removing capped containers and receiving containers to be capped, and a second position, which is occupied by the clamp holding assembly during capping and / or inspection, and in which the clamp holding assembly is engaged with the container and is associated with means for controlling its vertical sliding, the means comprising first elastic means configured to retain the clamp holding assembly in the second position when no stress is applied and in which an axial load is applied to the container.

[0013] Advantageously, the first elastic device comprises at least one compression spring arranged between a fixed support of the clamp holding assembly and a member sliding vertically with the clamp, the member being actuated by a first cam mechanism to move upwards against the action of the at least one compression spring so as to move the clamp to the first position.

[0014] According to another feature of the present invention, the clamp holding assembly further comprises means for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp, and comprises second elastic means configured to maintain the clamp in a closed state when no stress is applied.

[0015] Advantageously, the second elastic means comprises a torsion spring associated with a vertical rod rotatable about its axis, the vertical rod being connected to the jaws of the clamp by a lever system and being rotated about its axis by a second cam mechanism against the action of the torsion spring to open the clamp.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for capping containers in a capping unit equipped with a plurality of processing devices according to the present invention. For each container, the method comprises the following steps:

[0017] placing a clamp holding assembly of a handling device in a first or raised position by applying a compressive stress to a first resilient means, and placing the clamps of said assembly in an open position by applying a torque or compressive stress to a second resilient means;

[0018] introducing a container to be capped into a handling device so that the neck region of the container is received in an undercut of a centering member of the handling device and between the open jaws of the opened clamp;

[0019] removing the torsional or compressive stress from the second resilient means to close the clamp while maintaining the compressive stress on the first resilient means to hold the clamp gripping assembly in the raised position;

[0020] removing the compressive stress of the first resilient means to move the clamp gripping assembly to a second or lowered position with the clamp closed, wherein the clamp rests on the container;

[0021] applying a lid to the container;

[0022] At the end of the capping step, the clamp holding assembly is moved back to the raised position by again applying a compressive stress to the first elastic means, and at the final part or at the end of the raising movement, the clamp is opened again by again applying a torque or a compressive stress to the second elastic means;

[0023] The capped container is removed from the processing unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] These and other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 A perspective view of a capping unit according to the invention, arranged in a capping device and equipped with a clamping and centering device, is shown;

[0026] Figure 2 A partial enlarged view showing the clamping and centering device according to the present invention and its installation on the capping unit;

[0027] Figure 3 An isometric view of the clamp assembly is shown in an open position;

[0028] Figure 4 Shows the Figure 3 isometric views of the clamp assembly in the closed position taken from different angles;

[0029] Figure 5 an isometric view of the clamp showing the clamp assembly in a closed position;

[0030] Figure 6 an isometric view of the clamp showing the clamp assembly in an open position;

[0031] Figure 7 shows a schematic perspective view of a cam for controlling the raising and opening / closing of the clamps of the clamping assembly;

[0032] Figure 8 shows the operating steps of the device during the capping operation;

[0033] Figure 9 shows other operating steps of the device during the capping operation;

[0034] Figure 10 shows other operating steps of the device during the capping operation;

[0035] Figure 11 shows other operating steps of the device during the capping operation;

[0036] Figure 12 shows other operating steps of the device during the capping operation;

[0037] Figure 13 According to a variant embodiment of the invention, an enlarged detail of a clamping and centering device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , which schematically shows a rotary capping unit 100 belonging to a capping and / or inspection station of a capping device, said rotary capping unit 100 being equipped with a plurality of devices 1 according to the invention for handling, in particular gripping and centering bottles 2 (only in Figure 8-12 ), the bottle is in particular a bottle to which a screw cap 4 is applied and is provided with a rigid collar or bead 3 in its neck region 2a. The capping unit 100 is arranged to rotate continuously between different working positions according to a cycle in which bottles 2 are received in the capping unit 100, capped by suitable cap-applying members and finally leave the capping unit.

[0039] The device 1 consists of two distinct parts: a centering member 10 and a clamp holding assembly generally indicated at 20 .

[0040] The centering member 10 comprises a plate element having a side recess or opening 11 for receiving the neck region 2a of the bottle, so that the collar 3 rests on its upper surface supported by the centering member 10 during capping. The centering member 10 is also provided with teeth 12 (only one of which is visible in the figure) along the edge of the recess 11 for engaging the lower portion of the collar 3 to retain the bottle 2 and prevent it from rotating under the tightening torque applied to the cap 4. Elements of this type are commonly used in capping devices. The centering member 10 is fixedly mounted, for example, by screws, to a centering member retaining plate 102, which in turn is attached to a centering member retaining flange 106 of the capping unit 100. The flange 106 is connected to another flange 110, in particular a flange that carries the capping shaft, by a tie rod 108. The flanges 106 and 110 rotate integrally with a shaft 112 that transmits the aforementioned rotational motion to the capping unit 100. It should be noted that the centering member retention plate 102 may also be omitted and the centering member 10 may be mounted directly to the centering member retention flange 106 .

[0041] Each clamp holding assembly 20 is carried by a support 54 which in turn is attached to a support flange 114 which is also integral in rotation with the shaft 112. The flange 114 is divided into several sectors corresponding to the centering element retaining sectors 105 and is connected to the centering element retaining flange 106 by means of posts 116. The clamp holding assemblies 20 are mounted in such a way that the clamps 22 of the clamping assembly 20 are located below the centering element 10.

[0042] In addition to the clamp 22, the clamp assembly 20 includes a mechanism for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp 22 and its vertical sliding relative to the support 54 between a raised position, which the clamp 22 occupies during the transition from a capped bottle 2 to a bottle to be capped, and a lowered position, which the clamp 22 occupies during the tightening of the cap 4, and vice versa. As will be described in more detail below, the opening and raising of the clamp 22 occur against the action of a resilient member that tends to maintain the clamp in its closed, lowered position. In the raised position, the clamp 22 is located at the neck region 2a of the bottle 2, which is housed in a recess 23 between the arms or jaws 22a, 22b of the clamp 22, while in the lowered position, the clamp 22 rests on a shoulder formed by the connection between the neck 2a and the body 2b of the bottle 2, applying a vertical (or axial) load to the bottle. The jaws 22a, 22b are configured so as not to contact the neck 2a in the closed, raised position of the clamp 22. The shape of the jaws 22a, 22b is not customized for a specific bottle 2, but rather is designed to conform to the widest range of bottle shapes. The sliding motion also allows the device 1 to be used with bottles of varying shapes, with the contact point with the clamp assembly 20 being located at different heights without having to replace any components. Acting on the upper portion of the bottle 2 also takes advantage of the fact that format-related differences, particularly between bottles obtained from the same preform, are less pronounced closer to the portion in question.

[0043] refer to Figure 3-6 , the mechanism for controlling the vertical sliding, opening and closing of the clamp 22 will now be described.

[0044] The arms or jaws 22a, 22b of the clamp 22 are, for example, articulated by respective screws 26a, 26b to a support 24 that slides vertically with the clamp. The rotation of the arms 22a, 22b for opening / closing the clamp 22 is obtained by a kinematics having an irreversible characteristic that does not allow the clamp to be opened by acting on its arms. More specifically, the opening is controlled by a first reaction roller (cam follower) 28 that moves on the side surface of an eccentric cam 27 during the rotation of the capping unit 100. Reference will be made below to Figure 7The construction of the cam 27 is described below. A roller 28 is connected to one end of a rocker arm 30, the other end of which is integral with the lower end of a vertical rod 32, which is arranged to rotate about its axis within a guide sleeve 33. The guide sleeve 33 is integral with the sliding support 24, and the rod 32 is translationally integral therewith. A torsion spring 44, whose ends are attached to the rocker arm 30 and the sliding support 24, respectively, is wound around the outer surface of the sleeve 33. This arrangement causes the thrust applied to the roller 28 due to its movement on the cam 27 to cause the rod 32 to rotate, overcoming the action of the spring 44, which is arranged to maintain the arms 22a, 22b in the closed position when no thrust is applied to the roller 28. At its upper end, the rod 32 is integral with one end of a second rocker arm 34, which is carried by the sliding support 24 and, at its opposite end, is connected to a thrust member 36, which can slide from a retracted position (occupied by the member when the clamp is closed) to a forward position (occupied by the member when the clamp is open). The sliding movement of the thrust member 36 is guided, for example, by a pin 38 or the like, which engages in a slot 40 in the thrust member 36. A pair of further control levers or rockers 42a, 42b are hinged at one end to the thrust member 36, while their other ends are hinged to the rear of the arms 22a, 22b in a retracted position relative to the hinge screws 26a, 26b. Clearly, with this arrangement, the forward sliding movement of the thrust member 36 causes, via the control levers 42a, 42b, the arms 22a, 22b to rotate about their respective hinge pins in the direction of opening the clamp 22.

[0045] To allow for vertical sliding movement of the clamp 22 and its support 24, the support is mounted on the upper end of at least one rod, preferably a pair of rods 50a, 50b, which slide vertically within sleeves 52a, 52b carried by a fixed support 54 of the clamp gripping assembly 20. The rods 50a, 50b are attached at their lower ends to another support member 56, which is also vertically movable. This other support member has, for example, a generally L-shaped longitudinal cross-section, with a horizontal section 56' (preferably forming its upper portion), to which the rods 50a, 50b are attached. The axial load applied to the bottle 2 is determined by springs 58a, 58b wound around the sleeves 52a, 52b. The springs 58a, 58b are disposed between opposing surfaces of the fixed support 54 and the horizontal section 56' of the movable support 56. The load applied by the springs 58 can also be adjusted by means not shown but well known to those skilled in the art. The second reaction roller 62 is mounted on the vertical section 56" of the movable support and moves on the upper surface of the drum cam 64 during the rotation of the capping unit 100, as will be described below with reference to Figure 7This arrangement allows the thrust exerted on roller 62 by its movement on cam 64 to overcome the action of springs 58a and 58b and raise rods 50a and 50b. When no thrust is exerted on rods 50a and 50b, they move back to the lowered position.

[0046] It can also be seen from the figure that a stopper 66 is provided on the upper surface of the support member 54 , which is used to limit the downward stroke of the clamp 22 when there is no bottle to be capped and the roller 62 is not in contact with the cam 64 .

[0047] See also Figure 7 The cams 27 and 64 are arched elements of different lengths, corresponding to the first and second angular zones of rotation of the capping unit 100, respectively, and mounted to the fixed portion 118 of the capping device. The length of the cam 27 is less than that of the cam 64, and its position relative to the cam 64 is such that the thrust acting on the roller 28 can be removed ( Figure 3 , Figure 4 ), so that the clamp 22 can be closed, while the roller 62 is still biased and keeps the clamp 22 raised, as required during some operating steps of the capping unit. The two cams have end portions 27a and 64a of reduced thickness (so that in radial direction, the cam 27 acts through its side faces, while in axial direction, the cam 64 acts through its upper surface), and a central portion 27b, 64b, respectively, of greater and constant thickness, extending over most of the length of the cam. The central portions are connected to the end portions by rise / fall ramps 27c and 64c, respectively.

[0048] Now refer to Figure 8-12 The operation of the present invention is described. The operation provides at least five interaction situations between the clamp 22 and the cams 27,64.

[0049] The first situation corresponds to the actual capping step. In this situation, the rollers 28 and 62 are not in contact with the cams 27 and 64. Therefore, the springs 44, 58a, 58b are at rest and keep the clamp 22 closed and in its lowered position, resting on the shoulder between the neck 2a and the body 2b of the bottle 2. The vertical load set by the springs 58a, 58b is thus applied to the bottle, and the collar 3 engages with the teeth 12 of the centering member 10. This situation is similar to Figure 8 shown.

[0050] Once the cap 4 has been applied, the rotation of the capping unit 100 brings the roller 62 to the cam 64 and causes it to move upwards along the ascending slope 64c towards its central portion 64b. The roller 62 thus causes the raising of the clamp 22 via the support 56 and the rods 50a, 50b and thus the compression of the springs 58a, 58b. Due to the configuration of the cam, in this step the roller 28 is not yet in contact with the cam 27 and the clamp 22 remains closed, but without gripping the neck 2a. This situation is as follows Figure 9 shown.

[0051] Once the cam 64 has been raised by the roller 62 (or at the end of this raising), the roller 28 comes into contact with the cam 27 and slides along its raised slope 27c, thereby overcoming the action of the torsion spring 44 and causing the jaws 22a, 22b to open. The opening must be adjusted over time to remove the capped bottle 2 by means of an appropriate transfer star. This situation is as follows Figure 10 shown.

[0052] During another rotational arc of the capping unit 100, the rollers 28 and 62 continue to engage the upper portions of the respective cams 27 and 64, whereby the clamp 22 remains raised and open. In this state, the device 1 can receive a bottle 2 to be capped, the neck 2a of the bottle 2 being placed in the opening 11 of the centering member 10 and between the open arms 22a, 22b of the clamp 22 ( Figure 11 ).

[0053] Once the bottle 2 to be capped has entered the capping unit 100, the roller 28 descends to the recess 27a of the cam 27 situated on the descending slope 27c, thereby removing the biasing force exerted on the spring 44 and causing the clamp 22 (which is still not tightened on the neck 2a) to close. On the contrary, the roller 62 remains in the upper part 64b of the cam 64, thus maintaining the clamp 22 in the raised position ( Figure 12 ).

[0054] Once the closing of the clamp 22 is complete (or in the final part of this closing), the roller 62 reaches the descending slope 64c and enters the concave end 64a of the cam 64, whereby the springs 58a, 58b lower the clamp 22 until it comes into contact with the bottle 2. During the descending step of the roller 62, the roller 28 is no longer in contact with the cam 27. The roller 62 then leaves the cam 64 and the system returns to Figure 8 The state shown is for capping new bottles.

[0055] The method for capping bottles 2 using a capping unit equipped with a handling device operating in the manner described is as follows:

[0056] The clamp holding assembly 20 is arranged in the first position (raised position) by applying compressive stress to the compression springs 58a, 58b, and the clamp 22 is held open by applying torsional stress to the spring 44;

[0057] The container 2 to be capped is introduced into the handling device 1 so that the neck region 2 a of the container 2 is received in the undercut 11 of the centering member 10 of the handling device 1 and lies between the open jaws 22 a, 22 b of the opened clamp 22 ;

[0058] Removing the torsional stress on the spring 44 so that the clamp 22 closes while the clamp gripping assembly 20 remains in the raised position;

[0059] removing the compressive stress on the springs 58 a, 58 b so as to move the clamp gripping assembly 20 to a second position (lowered position) with the clamp 22 closed, wherein in this second position the clamp 22 rests on a shoulder between the neck 2 a and the body 2 b;

[0060] Applying a lid to the container 2;

[0061] At the end of the capping operation, the clamp gripping assembly 20 is moved again to the raised position by reapplying the compressive stresses 58 a, 58 b and, at the last part of the raising or at the end thereof, the clamp 22 is opened again by reapplying the torsional stress to the spring 44 ;

[0062] The capped container 2 is removed from the processing device 1 .

[0063] Then repeat the above steps for the new bottle 2.

[0064] exist Figure 13 In the illustrated variant, the opening of the clamp 22 is counteracted by a compression spring rather than a torsion spring. To this end, the pin 35 connecting the thrust member 36 to the rocker arm 34 passes vertically through the head of a slider 70. The slider 70 slides in a horizontal seat formed in a sleeve, assisted by the rotation of the slider 34. A coil spring 72 is wound around the sleeve and compressed by the head of the slider 70 during its sliding. The sliding of the slider 70 is synchronized and coincident with the sliding of the thrust member 36. In this arrangement, as the roller 28 slides along the ascending ramp 27c and the central portion 27b of the cam 27, the spring 72 is compressed, and when the cam 27 descends along the descending ramp 27c to the recessed portion 27a of the cam 27, the clamp 22 is reopened. This operation is identical to that described in conjunction with the torsion spring 44.

[0065] It is obvious that the above description is given only by way of non-limiting examples and that the construction details and the embodiments may vary widely with respect to what has been described and shown, without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims, which form an integral part of the technical teaching of the invention provided herein.

[0066] In particular, although the invention has been described with reference to bottles equipped with a rigid collar in the neck region, it can also be applied to bottles without such a collar. In this case, in a known manner, the centering member 10 can engage the lower portion of the strap of the safety seal to ensure the integrity of the cap. Furthermore, the invention can also be applied to various containers, provided that they have a shoulder on which the clamp 22 can rest.

Claims

1. A processing device (1) for processing containers (2) in a capping and / or inspection station of a capping device, wherein: The device (1) comprises a centering member (10) having a side opening (11) arranged to receive a neck region (2a) of a container (2), and a clamp holding assembly (20) for holding the container (2) during operations performed in the capping and / or inspection station, characterized in that: the clamp holding assembly (20) is mounted to be able to slide vertically between a first position and a second position, wherein, in the first position, the clamp holding assembly is disengaged from the container (2) to be capped and is capable of removing the capped container (2) and receiving the container (2) to be capped; and, during the capping and / or inspection process, the clamp holding assembly occupies the second position and, in the second position, the clamp holding assembly is engaged with the container (2), the clamp holding assembly being further associated with a device for controlling its vertical sliding, the device comprising a first elastic device, the first elastic device being configured to hold the clamp holding assembly (20) in the second position when no stress is applied and to apply an axial load to the container (2) in this position; The clamp holding assembly (20) further includes a device for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp (22). wherein the means for controlling the opening and closing of the clamp (22) comprises a second elastic means configured to maintain the clamp (22) in a closed state when no stress is applied, Wherein, the second elastic device includes: a torsion spring (44) associated with a vertical rod (32) rotatable about its axis, wherein the vertical rod is connected to the clamp jaws (22a, 22b) of the clamp (22) via a lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) and is rotated about its axis by a second cam mechanism (27, 28) against the action of the torsion spring (44) to open the clamp (22); or - a coil spring (72) associated with a sliding member (70), said sliding member (70) sliding horizontally against the action of said coil spring (72) due to the rotation of a vertical rod (32), said vertical rod (32) being connected to the clamp jaws (22a, 22b) of the clamp (22) by a lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) and being rotated by a second cam mechanism (27, 28) to open the clamp (22).

2. The processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first elastic means is arranged to maintain the clamp (22) of the clamp holding assembly (20) in contact with the shoulder connecting the neck region (2a) and the body region (2b) of the container (2) in the second position.

3. The processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first elastic device includes at least one compression spring (58a, 58b) arranged between a fixed support (54) of the clamp clamping assembly (20) and a member (56) that slides vertically with the clamp (22) of the clamp clamping assembly, wherein the member is actuated by a first cam mechanism (62, 64) to move upward against the action of the at least one compression spring (58a, 58b) to move the clamp (22) to the first position.

4. The processing device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fixed support (54) of the clamp gripping assembly (20) is associated with a stop (66) arranged to limit the downward travel of the clamp (22) when no container (2) is present.

5. The processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: Said first elastic means are associated with means for adjusting said axial load.

6. The processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) is configured to prevent the clamp (22) from opening under the action of a force applied to the clamp jaws (22a, 22b).

7. A method for capping containers (2) in a capping unit (100) equipped with a plurality of handling devices (1) according to claim 1, each handling device being used to hold and center the container (2) below a working head, characterized in that: For each container (2), the method comprises the following steps: Arranging the clamp holding assembly (20) of the processing device (1) in a first position or raised position by applying compressive stress to the first elastic device, and setting the clamp of the assembly (20) in an open state; The container (2) to be capped is introduced into the handling device (1) so that the neck region (2a) of the container (2) is received in the side opening (11) of the centering member (10) of the handling device (1) and is located between the open clamp jaws (22a, 22b) of the opened clamp (22); closing the clamp (22) while continuing to apply compressive stress to the first resilient means to maintain the clamp holding assembly (20) in the raised position; removing the compressive stress of the first resilient means so that the clamp holding assembly (20) moves to a second or lowered position with the clamp (22) closed, in which position the clamp (22) rests on the container (2); applying a cover (4) to the container (2); At the end of the capping step, the clamp holding assembly (20) is moved back to the raised position by reapplying compressive stress to the first resilient means and, at the last part or end of the raised movement, the clamp (22) is opened again; The capped container (2) is removed from the processing device (1).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of arranging the clamp (22) of the clamp holding assembly (20) in an open state is performed by applying torsional or compressive stress to the opening and closing members of the clamp (22).

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of closing the clamp (22) is performed by removing the torsional or compressive stress applied to the opening and closing members of the clamp (22).

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The step of closing the clamp (22) is performed by removing the torsional or compressive stress applied to the opening and closing members of the clamp (22).

11. The processing device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lever system (34, 36, 42a, 42b) is configured to prevent the clamp (22) from opening under the action of a force applied to the clamp jaws (22a, 22b).

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